Inspiring Women

Diane Bryant ’85 cuts the ribbon to open the Engineering Student Design Center that bears her name as Chancellor Gary S. May, mechanical engineering major Tichada Tantasirikorn and Dean Richard Corsi look on. (José Luis Villegas/UC Davis)

An engineering center for all

  • by Cody Kitaura
  • May 10, 2023

UC Davis students now have expanded access to advanced engineering equipment, in a space all their own, largely because of a woman who looked beyond the career paths her parents laid out for her.

Chancellor Gary May, Deb Neff, Dean Mark Winey and Kimberly McAllister pose for a photo outside in front of a university campus building with a green lawn.

Alumna Deb Neff gives $8M to biological sciences

  • by Clémentine Sicard
  • May 10, 2023
Life sciences industry expert Deborah Neff ’76 is giving $8 million to the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences for two endowments, one for the deanship and the other for the Center for Neuroscience for research into Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The gift is the largest by an individual in the college’s history.
A shiba inu with shaved fur poses for the photo while on a leash. The dog is in a veterinarian's office.

Bringing cures to complex cases

  • by Clémentine Sicard
  • January 24, 2023
In 2019 Gayle Brock brought her dog, Kitsune (Kit), to her local veterinarian in Nevada because the seven-year-old Shiba Inu had been acting lethargic. Brock knew something was wrong when Kit, who was typically very energetic, was too tired for her favorite activity: playing at the park.
historical photo of Katherine Esay in 1977. She has her hands folded and is leaning on lab-grade equipment at a plant biology lab.

A gift grows on

  • January 24, 2023
In 1988, a 90-year-old alumna and former faculty member gave $648,000 to UC Davis to establish an endowment that would fund plant research fellowships in perpetuity. Still driving discovery today, her gift demonstrates the power of an endowment to benefit the world for generations.
A Conversation with Glennon Doyle event graphic

‘Untamed’ Author Glennon Doyle to Speak at UC Davis

  • by Ashley Han
  • September 28, 2022

Glennon Doyle, activist and bestselling author of Untamed and other works, is coming to the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at the University of California, Davis, headlining a public symposium on women, philanthropy and leadership, 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16. Tickets are on sale now.

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Women & Philanthropy's Speaker Series Presents Immigration and Refugees: A Closer Look

VIDEO: Immigration and Refugees: A Closer Look

  • September 19, 2022
The Women & Philanthropy Speaker Series eighth event, Immigration and Refugees: A Closer Look with Raquel E. Aldana, Martin Luther King Jr. professor of law facilitated by LeShelle May on September 14, 2022.
Women & Philanthropy's Speaker Series Presents Untangling DEI: Starts with the 4A's

VIDEO: Untangling DEI: Starts with the 4 A’s

  • June 13, 2022
The Women & Philanthropy Speaker Series seventh event, Untangling DEI: Starts with the 4 A’s with Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Renetta Garrison Tull, Ph.D., facilitated by LeShelle May on June 7, 2022.
getting unstuck: the positive side of negative thinking

Getting Unstuck [VIDEO]

  • March 07, 2022
The Women & Philanthropy Speaker Series’ sixth event, Getting Unstuck: The Positive Side of Negative Thinking with Dr. Alison Ledgerwood, facilitated by LeShelle May on March 3, 2022.
Women & Philanthropy's Speaker Series Presents: Leadership in Higher Education - flexibility is key

Leadership in Higher Education: Flexibility is Key (VIDEO)

  • August 16, 2021

UC Davis Provost Mary Croughan joined LeShelle May for a conversation on the challenges and lessons learned while helping lead the university through the pandemic, and what changes are here to stay. The Provost also shared how her experience as a leader in academia and her training in epidemiology has helped her guide UC Davis during her first year as Provost.

Women & Philanthropy's Speaker Series Presents: Nutrition - separating fact from fiction

Nutrition: Separating Fact From Fiction (VIDEO)

  • May 18, 2021

The Women & Philanthropy Speaker Series' third event, Nutrition: Separating Fact From Fiction with Dr. Debbie Fetter, facilitated by LeShelle May on May 12, 2021. Debbie shared her passion for nutrition, food, culture and who fed her interest for teaching nutrition in higher education. She also shared her philosophy of nutrition, pointing out that there is no one “right” way.

Art as influence: Why it matters

Art as Influence: Why It Matters (VIDEO)

  • February 26, 2021

The Women & Philanthropy Speaker Series' second event, Art as Influence: Why It Matters with Rachel Teagle, facilitated by LeShelle May on February 23, 2021.

Rachel shared personal stories from her career in the arts, what drew her to the role as Founding Director of the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum, the vital role art plays in our lives and the ways current events influence artists and museums.

View the full video below:

Lois and Darryl Goss

Alumni couple establish endowed chair, UC Davis’ 1st in African American Studies

  • February 23, 2021

Alumni and longtime university supporters Lois and Darryl Goss are creating a presidential chair in African American and African Studies at the University of California, Davis, to provide sustained funding for teaching, research and outreach about the history and culture of communities of African descent around the world.